>> reporter: they are both making their best pitch. it's a really important sector of our economy with close to 12 million americans working in manufacturing. and those in manufacturing say progrowth policies and action are needed now. governor romney in ohio recently made this pitch. >> look, we've now gone four years, in four years we've lost 582,000 manufacturing jobs. 582,000. this -- we can't afford four more years like the last four years. we've got to get this economy going again. [applause] >>> those in manufacturing say more certainly in the economy in terms of taxes and government spending are needed, bill. bill: what does president obama contend that he would do better if he's reelected? >> reporter: at the democratic national convention president obama said after a decade of decline the country created more than a half million manufacturing jobs in the past two and a half years, and he's promising to do more in a second term. >> we can help big fact there's and small businesses double their exports, and if we choose this pa